Life Crashing
by tanktopsandcigs
Summary: Life does not turn out the way Addison thought it would. When an accident leaves her as caregiver of an old rival, will she be able to put the past behind her or will she let her first impressions rule her actions? Only time can tell.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I have no claim on Grey's Anatomy, or its characters. Shonda Rhimes is the creator and makes all the money from her endeavors like she should.

Summary: Life does not turn out the way Addison thought it would. When an accident leaves her as caregiver of an old rival, will she be able to put the past behind her or will she let her first impressions rule her actions? Only time can tell.

A/N: Remembered wanting to test out a technique in a writing book. So I wrote some Meredith/Addison. From Addison's point of view.

Music poured out of the jukebox and swirled around the crowd. People pushed their glasses over the bar, and slammed their newly freshened pitchers of beers on the tables. Their friends shouted in reply, gleeful to have more brew to take their minds off of the frustrations of the day.

Addison Montgomery felt the depression sweep back over her. At first, during the morning it had rested in the back of her head, a dull throb. Now it exploded downward and settled deep in her chest. It made it difficult to breathe. She pinched the lime from her glass and bit into it. The acid hit the back of her tongue making her cough. Drinking the last of her drink she looked over at the bar, Callie stood holding two glasses, chatting with the dirty mistress. Addison figured she needed to stop calling Meredith that at some point, seeing how she and Derek were more of a couple than Addison and Derek had ever been. "She better get here with those damn drinks."

"Noticed you giving me the look woman." Callie joined her friend and put their drinks down. "I saw you eying Meredith."

Addison shrug. What was it to Callie? There was a point when she wasn't exactly on friendly terms with the petite blonde either. "You know, I should make a drinking game, every time Meredith proves better than me I take a shot."

Callie laughed, then pulled out her cellphone. She checked the screen, and then slid it back into her pocket. Addison sipped her drink, then narrowed her eyes. "This is friend time. Who was that?"

"Arizona." Callie smiled as she moved her beer around the table. "She taking off for home."

Addison nodded. And her eyes returned to Meredith Grey.

"You know what?" Callie leaned against the wall, as she figured out what caught Addison's attention. "Did you hear me?"

Addison tilted her head, and took a drink before holding the glass atop her thigh. She wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her college sweatshirt. Disgusting habit, she couldn't help but wonder what her mother would think about that. Wait, Callie was saying something. "Yeah, what?"

"I should take a shot every time you rant about Grey."

Addison snapped her head around, and saw Callie smirk. She wasn't that bad, not since she had left for L.A. Was she? "I like mine better."

"Sure you do." Callie left her beer half drunk and climbed off her chair. She put on her jacket. "I think I'm going to head home."

"I-sure okay."

"Do you need a ride?"

Addison tossed the second lime slice on the table beside the first. She grabbed a napkin and balled them inside. She wasn't that drunk. At no point during her conversation had she confessed all the drama back in California. No, she could drive home. "Go have fun with your girlfriend."

"Addie, if you don't feel up to it call a cab." Callie walked toward the exit. She bumped into Mark as he made his way inside. After a few words she departed, and Addison stifled a groan. Mark strolled his way over.

He grinned his Sloan smirk, then pushed his hands into his pockets. The leather of his jacket crinkled when he took Callie's chair. "Mind if I have a sip?"

He's mouthed moved but she really wasn't in the mood to interpret what he was saying. His hand crossed the table toward her drink. She jerked it out of his reach. "Get your own. Mine."

"Alright, Jungle Jane. But you're not even drinking it."

She rolled her eyes. Her fingers traced the rim of her glass. "Go bother Little Grey."

Mark rubbed the stubble on his chin. He turned when her heard a loud laugh from a table across the bar. Meredith and her gang were joking about George's latest screw up. He tapped his hand on his chin. "I thought you were over the Grey thing."

"I don't have a Grey thing." Addison pushed her drink to the middle of the table. She entangled her hand at the nape of her neck. "I don't."

Mark narrowed his eyes as he leaned in closer to his friend. "You know that I still care about you. And I'm not going to lie. You're obsessed with the kid."

"I wouldn't say she was a kid."

"And you didn't say you weren't obsessed."

"You know what, I can't do this. I'm not doing this." Addison dropped money on the table and put her glass on top to keep it in place. She pulled her hoodie over her head and walked away. "Goodbye Mark."

She heard him shout at her as she shrugged through the crowd. Not stopping until she crossed the street to find her car in the hospital parking lot. As she got to the door she felt her arm pulled back.

"Don't get in that car." Mark tugged her away from the door. "Don't."

"Let go of me." Addison stopped, and rested her free hand on her hip. She shook her head as Mark tugged on her left arm. "Fine. Fine I'll take a taxi."

Mark pulled her behind him to the edge of the lot. Addison could make out the outline of a car. He must have called a taxi on his way after her. Mark released her hand to open the door. She rushed backwards and turned toward her car.

"Addie."

She pressed a button on her key chain to unlock the door. Mark slammed into the side of her car. Addison let him pound on the window. She wiped her nose on sleeve of her sweater. "I'm fine. Go home."

"If you drive this car tonight you'll hate yourself in the morning." Mark put a hand on the car. The crowd at Joe's was sweeping out into the streets.

When she put the key in the ignition she stalled. Two drinks. She started the engine and turned her head when she heard the passenger side open and shut. "You're stubborn."

"I could say that about you." Mark reached over her and clicked her seat belt in place. Then he put his on. "We could sit here and talk."

"I can't stay here." Addison put the car in gear and pushed through the heavy sheets of rain. "L.A., it's just more of the same."

Her foot crushed down harder on the gas. The car jerked out of the parking space and cut left. They passed within an inch of someone's bumper. Addison felt the tears roll, hot, down her cheeks. She lifted her arm to wipe her eyes.

"ADDIE!" Mark took the wheel with one hand. He pulled right. Addison bumped hard into her door.

She heard a loud thump. It took her a moment to realize that it didn't come from her fall. Someone screamed. And four figures ran out of the crowd.

Addison sat in the police station waiting for the cop to come take her statement. Out of all the shitty things that could happen, she had to hit Grey with her car. Hell, it couldn't be Derek at least. Addison rested her fingers against her lips, as if she were afraid something suspect might slip from them at any moment.

The officer stopped halfway down the aisle and nodded for her to join him. She picked up her purse and gave Mark a thin line smile as he passed on his way out of the office.

"I'll be in the waiting room." Mark squeezed her arm, before letting his hand drift up to the gauze slapped on the side of his head. His gaze ran up and down an officer as she slipped behind her desk. "Waiting room." He called out as he made his way there.

"Ms. Montgomery?" Officer Bennett asked as he pulled out the correct forms and laid them in front of him. He took a quick sip of coffee.

Addison nodded. She bit her lip, then added, "Yes." For good measure.

"She didn't press charges." Bennett clicked his pen and put in the correct info, with his quick slanted marks. "So just tell me what happen so I can file this. You've seen things like this, in the E.R., I'm sure you understand."

Addison understood. She understood that even though Meredith didn't want to hang her to dry, she was still in a whole lot of trouble. Drinking under the influence or maybe Drinking while intoxicated. Not to mention actually hitting Grey. She'd have a lot to explain to the parents, the colleagues, the ex. How does such a pristine, acclaimed doctor, a surgeon no less, get herself into this much trouble. Addison pushed her purse down beside her in the seat and settled in while she unloaded her story.

Bennett clicked the pen and placed it diagonally over the sheet of paper. His hard brows touched as he stared down at his desk. "Seems I've got everything. I'll need you to look over it, and maybe show it to an attorney."

A/N: I think I need to do some research on police procedure.


	2. Chapter 2

Addison made it out of the precinct in good time. She stumbled across the small ledge between the door and the platform. Her hands flung out for something to keep her from breaking her nose on the cement below. Arms wrapped around her from behind. She thrashed. Her arms hit against the body holding her.

"Calm Down, kid." A familiar raspy voice whispered in her ear.

Addison paused. She turned to find green eyes staring down at her. "Don't do that." She fell into a crouch, and massaged her temple.

"You and that anxiety." Melissa Montgomery pulled a pack of cigarettes out of the inner pocket of her trench coat. She flicked a cigarette out and between her lips with a practiced ease. She held the pack up to her cousin.

Addison rolled her eyes. Melissa shrugged.

Addison straightened to her full height. She took out her beige fishing hat and put it on. "I didn't know you had business in Seattle."

"Me neither." Melissa said through a puff of smoke. She switched the briefcase to her right hand. She wrapped her left around Addison's bicep. "I've got a car down the block."

"That close?" Addison could hear the tears in her voice. She could feel her throat tightening, trying to strangle the words into a sob. "Is this a long visit?"

"Depends." Melissa stopped. She lifted her right hand to let the heavy drops of rain cascade against her gloved palm.

Addison wanted to scream. She wanted to slap the case down and shake a confession out of Mel. We both know why you're here.

"I took a Red Eye." Melissa moved again, pulling Addison to match her stride. "Mark called."

She suspected so. Mark was the only one in Seattle who knew to call Mel. Derek was out of town. And even then she'd be on his black list again. Who else was going to look out for her? Maybe Callie. But she didn't know Melissa was her lawyer. And certainly didn't know that Melissa was in San Francisco.

"Don't mope."

"Why?"

"It's not productive." Mel released her hold on Addison and took her keys out of the front sleeve of her case. "Won't fix this mess."

"What mess?" Addison leaned against the car wondering if she'd been with the cops long enough for Mel to get to town and get a car. "They said there wasn't a lawsuit."

Mel threw her case into the backseat. "God, you're drunk."

"What?" Addison asked. She let Melissa help her into the passenger seat. "Meredith's not filing."

"You hit someone with your car." Melissa shut the door behind her cousin. When she got into the driver seat she rest her head on the wheel. "The law has a lawsuit."

"Meredith." Addison shook her head. "I have to get to the hospital. She's probably really mad."

"Not happening." Mel started the engine. "No hospital tonight."

"Have you seen her?" Addison twisted her body as far as she could with the seat belt on. Mel shook her head. "Do you know about her and me?"

Mel shook her head again. "Tell me."

Addison crossed her arms. She blinked. "She slept with Derek."

Mel jerked the car to a stop. Her eyes widened. "She did what?"

"Not so bad. I had Mark."

"How long ago was this? You know, with Derek."

Addison smacked her lips. "Long ago. Now they're married." She said while curling her fingers into quotation marks. "Post it."

Mel pulled into some twenty four hour diner's parking lot. "I'm going to need you to think."

Addison reached out, the tips of her fingers holding either side of Mel's face. She looked into her eyes. "You do that too."

"Did you mean to hit Meredith?"

Addison pulled her hands away. A grimace marred her too red face. "I hit Meredith?"

"How much did you drink?" Mel undid her seat belt so she could turn to Addison. "Dison, tell me the truth."

Addison squinted her eyes. She did hit Meredith. But she didn't know if Meredith was okay or not. Mel wouldn't tell her. "What's wrong with Meredith?"

"Did you hit her deliberately?"

"Mark was with me. Ask him."

"Can't. He's on consultation."

Addison tilted her head. "With who? Call him."

"Lexie Grey."

"Why?"

Mel fell back into her seat. Her hand automatically finding the inside pocket of her coat. She grabbed a cigarette and quickly lit it. After taking a few pulls she rested her hand on her knee. "Because they need to know what to do when Doctor Torres finishes."

"When Callie finishes what?"

Mel opened the door and walked into the freezing Seattle night. Her back to Addison.

Addison got out. She waited for Mel to acknowledge her. Mel didn't. Addison nodded, then she slammed the door.

Mel turned, pointing her cigarette at Addison, her arm rested on the top of the car. "Stop being a brat."

"I'm a doctor."

Mel's mouth dropped open. She twirled around with her arms opened wide. "Irrelevant. Useless info right now."

She was right. What were they talking about again? The accident. "Why is Callie working on Meredith?"

"Why did you have to drink?" Mel flicked her cigarette into the wet gravel of the parking lot. "Goddammit, Dison."

"Tell me."

Mel bit her fingernails. She didn't have time to get another smoke from the car. "Her arms were smashed. You smashed them."Mel finally answered, but she didn't look her cousin in the eye. "They don't know anything else. She hasn't been awake since."

Addison stared at her cousin. Her hat fell to her feet. "It was a tap. A little bump."

Mel picked up the hat, then pushed it into Addison's pocket. "Maybe the way you remember it. If you can."


End file.
